Seven Days To Love Me
by SweetTies
Summary: What happens when Himeno and Hayate decide to place a bet? A story about Sasame trying to gain back Mawata's trust and hopefully, her heart.  Full summary inside, rated for language. Will go up for lemons later. All reviews welcomed with open arms!
1. Prologue: A Sophisticated Wager

_Seven Days To Love Me_

(Full Summary: Despite all of her efforts Himeno doesn't succeed in saving Takako from the Tree of Fenrir. Himeno and Hayate are happily together but what about Mawata? What happens when Himeno and Hayate decide to place a bet? A story about Sasame trying to gain back Mawata's trust and hopefully, her heart.)

(**Disclaimer:** No matter how much I wish, I of course, do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong solely to Junichi Sato & Kaori Naruse)

Prologue: A Sophisticated Wager

"Hayate?" Himeno asked, turning her head to look at him. They were lying on the warm sand at the beach she had been with Mawata with when they were both feeling lonely. The difference was that this time around, she wasn't lonely because Hayate was with her and the sun was in the middle of the sky a few more hours before it was going to set. She was happy, with the exception of a part of her that still throbbed with sadness. This time around though, it was for some one else.

"Hmm?" Hayate replied, staring up at the blue sky as streaks of pale white clouds passed above him. Himeno didn't respond immediately instead she closed her eyes and smiled as she heard his voice. It was still as sensual as it was the day she meet him. "Stop staring at me with your eyes closed. It's creepy." He snapped. Himeno opened her eyes and her face turned bright red.

"You ass!" She exclaimed, tossing sand in his face.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" He demanded, vigorously wiping the sand from his face. He noticed the look in her eyes and realized that she wanted him to be serious. He sighed and brushed the remainder of sand from his hair. "What is it Himeno?" He asked. Himeno sat up, pulled her knees into her chest and held them there tightly.

"It's…Mawata…I'm worried about her. I mean, sure she seems happier, and I'm sure she is but…she's still lonely in a way." Himeno said staring out at the sparkling light fragments reflecting off the deep blue ocean water.

"Himeno…how is she alone? Mannen, Hajime, Shin, and Goh are always around her." He replied, running his fingers through his long sapphire colored hair. Himeno shook her head.

"That's not what I mean. Sure, she has friends Hayate but I'm talking about some one to be around whose more than a friend. I guess what I'm saying is when is Sasame going to talk to her? Make things right? Love her?" She questioned glancing back at him. Hayate stared into her worried eyes and sighed again.

"Well…he did say earlier that today he was going to talk to Mawata. It's about time since that whole ordeal happened almost a year ago and he still hasn't talked to her. He does love her though. He watches her all the time, though she doesn't know it." He responded. Himeno shuffled away from him her eyes suspicious. "What?" Hayate asked.

"Sounds kind of creepy…" Himeno replied. Hayate fell over momentarily.

"Not like that!" He snapped his accent thick. "Geez, get your mind out of the gutter." He snapped. Himeno laughed.

"Ok, ok…so he's going to talk to her tonight?" She asked him, her eyes going from suspicious back to loving. Hayate nodded.

"At least he's going to try. I don't know how Mawata will take it at first, but I can guarantee that she will be his within a week." He replied with a shrug, lying fully down on the sand once again. Himeno's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say Mawata's easy?" She demanded balling her fists. Hayate seemed unfazed.

"No, but with Sasame sweet talking her she'll probably melt. I'll bet you on it." He said chuckling. Himeno flared up once again with the desire to defend her sister but then shrank back and bit her lip.

"I don't know Hayate…I don't think we should be betting on things like that…" She replied. Hayate opened his eyes to turn his burning gaze to hers, and that sexy smirk began to spread on his lips.

"Fine. Let's call it a sophisticated wager. Unless you're a chicken." He murmured. That did it. Himeno's ego wasn't willing to suffer the blow, and he knew it.

"Fine! Name your terms!" She demanded, shooting up to her feet. Hayate chuckled and sat up. He knew insulting her would bring back that fiery personality that he loved. Every so slowly his lips curled up into an almost sadistic smirk and Himeno shrank back again. _'What the hell is he going to do to me?'_ She thought and swallowed the swelling lump in her through. Hayate chuckled.

"Alright. If Sasame succeeds in making Mawata his in one week you go away with me for a week and give yourself up to me…fully." He said, his gaze unyielding. A cherry blush made its way across Himeno's face. She knew exactly what he was implying. Though they had been dating for almost a year she still hadn't had sex with him. Even that night he proposed to her two months ago she still hadn't budged on the subject. Hayate watched her face with amusement and stood up as well brushing sand off his jacket.

"Told you. Chicken." He said. Himeno's face turned so red he could have sworn he could see smoke coming out from the top of it.

"Fine! And if he doesn't you have to do work around the mansion in a chicken suit for two weeks!" She challenged.

"What?" Hayate demanded. It was now his turn to turn red. Himeno's face twisted evilly. "Unless of course you're a chicken…chicken." She said. Hayate's eyebrow twitched and he suddenly had the urge to shove her face into the sand. E took a deep breath, brought his fist up to his mouth, gave a slight cough and cleared his throat.

"Fine. Accepted." He said, and then smirked. "Let the game…begin."

**((I know that was short but it was just a little something I wrote to get everything started. Please keep reading and I would love reviews ~SweetTies~))**


	2. Day One: Get Out

_**Seven Days To Love Me**_

Day One: Get Out

Mawata laughed as Shin pelted her with yet another water balloon.

"Hey, hey, hey! I said I give up already!" She cried as she hid her face from more ongoing attacks. She could hear Goh's deep laughter as well.

"Alright kids I think Mawata's had enough. Go inside and ask for some ice cream or something." He said.

"Okay!" The three kids said ok and ran off towards the grandeur of the Awayuki mansion. Mawata laughed and looked up at the almost clear blue sky the bright sun making her eyes squint. She looked down at her self and let out a giggle.

"I'm completely soaked!" She said, her voice as soft and gentle as it usually was. Goh chuckled and walked over to her, a small tint of pink coming on his cheeks.

"Yeah you are…here take my jacket…I mean, I love seeing your breasts like this Mawata, but you might be embarrassed if some one else saw." He said, taking off his jacket and handing it to her chuckling. Mawata looked down again and finally noticed what she hadn't the first time. Her shirt had been a mix of white and yellow. Her breasts and hardened nipples were now painfully obvious due to the fact that (unfortunately for her) the top half of her shirt was white. She snatched the jacket quickly, wrapped it around herself, then zipped it up.

"Thanks Goh…" She murmured. She was grateful to have him around. Ever since the defeat of the Great Tree of Fenrir and Takako's death Goh had been her best friend, helping her through the small amount of her remaining sadness and welcoming her into the kids lives. It also crossed her mind more than once how trustworthy and how strikingly attractive he was. It was those times she wished she loved him instead of Sasame. Things could be so much easier if she loved Goh…they could be together…and happy. But unfortunately for her, she was still in love with Sasame even though it was clear how much Goh loved her. It had been a year and a half ago that she feel in love with him and a year ago that he broke her heart into a billion pieces. For some reason though, she still hadn't fallen out of love with him. She didn't talk to anyone about it but she could tell that they probably knew. Himeno was dense with her own feelings but seemed to be so easily in tune with Mawata's. Hayate was dense to but whatever Himeno was clued in on so was Hayate. Goh was her best friend so no doubt he could tell and Kei…well she knew he probably knew but just didn't care enough to interfere.

"Mawata?" She heard Goh's voice calling. Her eyes widened and she landed back down to earth. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"Sorry. I didn't hear you. What did you say?" She asked. Goh returned her smile expectantly. He was used to her spacing out by now.

"I was asking if you wanted to go inside so you can change out of your wet clothes. If you stay in them you might catch a cold since you get sick so easily." He said, chuckling and scratching the back of his head. Mawata smiled.

"Sure." She took his hand and began walking towards the mansion. His hand was so big, and so warm. _Of course it's warm Mawata; he's the Leafe Knight of Fire._ She thought. Being around him was always so comforting. She smiled brightly. Little did she know though that another Leafe Knight was watching them. Goh was not fooled. They had gotten to the middle of the forest when he stopped walking and looked down at the small, fragile looking girl and his heart throbbed.

"Hey um…Mawata? Would you go out to dinner with me tonight? There's this new restaurant…its real fancy…something I thought you would like so…how about it?" He asked. Mawata was surprised for a moment but then it subsided. She had gone out with Goh multiple times, casually and formally, either way the friend vibe stayed. The most he ever did was kiss her forehead or her cheek to greet her, and to say goodbye.

"I'd love to." She said, her smile brightening. That did it for Goh. Once again a pink tint haunted his cheeks and Mawata giggled. He was always so transparent. Suddenly Goh stopped walking.

"Why don't you head inside and get changed. I'll meet you out here at seven-thirty when you're done. I have just remembered I have to take care of something." He said. His demeanor had changed slightly and she wondered why but felt it was better not to ask. . Mawata frowned slightly, knowing that she was going to lose his warm hand and nodded.

"Ok. See you then." She replied, giving his hand a squeeze and then letting go. She turned and continued to walk on her own. As soon as she was out of seeing and hearing range Goh turned towards a tree towards his left.

"Alright Sasame you can stop spying. Get out here." Goh growled. It took a moment, but he saw the tall, slender, white haired knight step to the side and take another few steps forward. He gave a slight smile.

"Goh," He greeted pleasantly. "How are you?"

"Cut the crap Sasame. You've been spying on me and Mawata again." Goh snapped. His temper was easily tampered with considering he was the knight of fire. Sasame cocked his head to the side slightly, his face impassive, his eyes vacant.

"I simply wanted to assess how your relationship with her was progressing." Sasame replied evenly.

"To hell with that lame ass excuse Sasame! It ain't progressing and you know damn well why. Because of you." He growled again. Sasame took a deep breath, tilted his head up and looked at the sky.

"You know that I do love her Goh." He murmured. Goh scoffed, rolling his glowing brown eyes.

"Yeah right. You've got a helluva of showing it. You haven't talked to her for a year." He snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at the older knight. Sasame returned his eyes to the knight of fire and studied him for a moment longer. He seemed to be choosing his next words carefully. He took a deep breath

"I know…I'm going to try…now." Sasame replied. It was remarkable how even his voice stayed. It pissed Goh off how completely non-chalante Sasame could be. How millions of girls loved his radio voice that was simply that, a voice. A soothing voice, but with absolutely nothing behind it but a selfish man who wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

"Yeah. Fat chance she'll listen." Goh scoffed once again. Sasame nodded.

"I didn't think it would be easy." He agreed, looking towards the Awayuki mansion. "Hopefully…maybe after a few days…she will allow me to get close to her again." Goh snorted, rolled his eyes and he un-crossed his arms.

"Like I said; fat chance. But go ahead and try Sasame. I wish you the best of fuckin luck." He turned and threw up his hand as if to say goodbye and soon enough vanished into thin air. Sasame kept his eyes on the mansion, a small, but knowing, and expecting, smile gracing his pale lips.

* * *

Mawata stepped into her room and took a look around. It was the exact same way it had been a year ago except all of Sasame's tapes were missing. Better yet, she had smashed every single one of them with a hammer and thrown them away the night that she got her life back. Still, nothing really decorated her room. It was still so plan, so simple. Being in the room gave her an almost nostalgic feeling. It felt empty, yet it held so many memories. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and removed Goh's jacket. Tossing it on the bed she was about to take off her shirt when she heard a voice.

"Mawata."

Then, there was silence. Mawata's arms were crossed over her stomach clutching the bottom off her shirt and she stood there frozen, her eyes wide. It couldn't be. He wouldn't dare show up, here…now. Slowly she turned her head to stare at the person sitting in the arm chair to the left of her bed. The first thing she saw was his unmistakable white hair. He wore faded black jeans, a white button up open shirt, with a faded purple shirt underneath it along with some black shoes. If she didn't have control over herself her jaw would have fallen open. A small smile was on his lips as he stared at her. The silence lingered as all Mawata could do was keep staring at him. His eyes bored into hers, taking in everything she was revealing, all the emotion that was there before the shut down he knew was coming came. He saw shock, anger, confusion, love, and regret. Then, it was all gone, replaced by a cold barrier. She had gotten herself together.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" She asked, her voice monotonous. Sasame stood and deliberately did not answer her question. Mawata's face started to get a little red, her anger was rising quickly.

"Answer me." She hissed. Sasame looked into her eyes again and this time refused to look away from her.

"I wanted to see you." He replied. The answer was so simple. So simple it hurt. He wanted to see her? For what? There was nothing to say, nothing to talk about. He had tortured her heart to the point of what was almost her death and then didn't even apologize. Didn't talk to her for a year! On the flip side there was another thing paining her heart. There was nothing like hearing his voice again. It was so smooth, like silk. Suddenly she felt vulnerable again, remembering all those nights she stayed up listening to his voice, replaying his tapes over and over again until she finally was able to drift off to sleep during the early hours of the morning. No. She wouldn't give in so easily. She stared right back into his eyes, holding her head high.

"It's been a year Sasame. I hardly think there is anything that you needed to see me for." She replied evenly. She fought hard to maintain her composure, not letting her voice give away how fazed she was by his presence. He took a step closer. She didn't budge.

"Maybe…I should wait for you to change…you're soaking wet." He said, his innocent smile turning into a slight smirk. Mawata, once again becoming away of herself blushed furiously and turned her back to him and started storming towards the bathroom.

"You pervert! Is that why you came here?" She yelled back, slamming the bathroom door behind her.

"I would never do that to you Mawata. I was actually unaware." He lied, but she couldn't tell. Mawata gave him no response and turned on the water. If she took a long shower, maybe he would be gone by the time she came out. Actually instead, she would take a bath. Filling the tub up with water she added some lavender bath salts to the tub after she had covered the drain with a plug. She smiled contently and stripped herself of her shirt, skirt, and underware. The lavender scent swirled its way into her senses and she slowly slipped into the tub and closed her eyes. Relaxation. Sasame would most definitely be gone by the time she was done.

* * *

Mawata sighed happily as she finally got out of the tub. She looked at the clock that was on the counter next to the sink. It was 6:23, not an hour later, but about forty minutes which was close enough. She got out of the bathtub and let the water drain. Her dinner with Goh was in about an hour and she, of course, wanted to be ready. She spent the next half an hour blow drying her hair and then curling it. Her hair was normally curled but it looked more sophisticated now. Her hair had grown halfway down her arms in a years time and was extravagantly beautiful and of course naturally wavy. Curling it however gave her that extra bounce and style. Next was her make up. She applied a thin layer of eyeliner, and mascara and a faint turquoise eye shadow. She was satisfied. Wrapping her towel around her she stepped out of the bathroom and into her room. It was somewhat dark when she stepped in. She recalled not having turned the lights on and it was the evening. She opened a drawer, pulled out a pair of lace white underwear. (White of course because she was so innocent.) Next was a baby blue gown. Walking back into the bathroom she put on the clothes, careful not to touch her hair or makeup. She checked the time. It was five minutes before she was supposed to meet Goh._ I didn't realize I had taken so long._ She thought. She stepped back out into her room, turned on the light and looked in the mirror. She looked great. Sophisticated and elegant. A true daughter of the Awayuki name.

"You look beautiful Mawata."

Her insides felt cold and she froze up all over again. There was that goddamned voice again! She spun around to see Sasame sitting in the same chair he was in when first went into the bathroom. He had actually stayed there for two hours!

"You're kidding!" She exclaimed, displaying with out hesitation this time, her complete shock. He cocked his head to the side and had the nerve to look confused.

"No…I am very serious Mawata. You look amazing." He said standing up. She stared at him incredulous. He couldn't be serious…could he? He walked closer to her and all she did was watch. Watch as he got closer with every step. He was less than a foot away from her. He smiled.

"Absolutely incredible." She could feel his breath on her lips. How had he managed to get that close? She had let her guard down. He leaned closer. She looked deep into those mysterious blank eyes and then it hit her. Blank eyes. There was the normal smile that graced his lips but those normal blank eyes. No. She would never give into those eyes unless they were begging her. Unless she could see everything he felt in them. For now though, she saw nothing. Her anger came back full force and she shoved him as hard as she could. Considering how much bigger than her he was he didn't go far but she was proud of herself for making him go back two feet.

"Get out," Mawata said, her eyes burning as she stared at him. She saw a flicker of something in Sasame's eyes. Was it shock or…amusement?

"Excuse me?" He asked politely. As if he hadn't heard her. She knew she had been loud enough.

"I'm leaving to go on a date with Goh so get out of my room!" She snapped, and with that last order she stormed out of her room leaving Sasame standing there in front of her bed. He listened to her footsteps until she was down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door, then, he smirked. _I never thought it would be easy._

**((I hope all of you enjoyed this! =) Please review))**


	3. Day Two:Part 1:Temperament&Explinations

_**Seven Days To Love Me**_

**Day Two: Temperament and Explanations**

**((Thanks for the review CherryBlossom210! =D))**

Mawata opened her eyes and was relieved to realize that the new maid hadn't come into her room and opened the curtains yet. Her room was still mostly dark, faint hints of yellow light seeping in past the curtains. She sighed and curled on her side. The date with Goh hadn't been as great as it usual was. Goh seemed more…persistent that usual. Instead of kissing her on the cheek or forehead like normal he tried to kiss her on the lips. Instead of giving his soft, warm hugs like normal he almost crushed her in his arms to the point where she had to practically beg him to let her go. He also seemed more aggressive when he wanted something, like for her to hold his hand, or answer a question. He seemed irritated the whole night. By the time she came home she was exhausted from having dealt with him for the whole four hours they were gone. She was more than happy to go and collapse into her bed and fall asleep. She was even more ecstatic when she didn't see Sasame.

"Good morning Mawata," There was that damn voice again. Maybe she was dreaming. She knew she wasn't and she sat up quickly, turning in the direction of the voice. A choice she regretted instantly. The Knight of Sounds face was literally two inches away from hers. Both his hands were placed on the bed, allowing him to be leaning towards her. He looked surprised, having not expected her to turn around that quickly. The surprised faded and soon enough he was smiling at her. Mawata's face turned a cherry red and she shoved him away.

"No!" She cried. "What the-! Sasame I told you to get out!" Mawata yelled, clutching her night gown to her chest. Sasame hadn't moved much as a result of her shove but he politely stood up and sat in the chair next to her bed.

"I know…however you didn't say I couldn't come back. Besides, I never got the chance to talk to you." He said. Mawata glared at him.

"Get out Sasame." She growled. Sasame raised an eyebrow. This Mawata was certainly different from the Mawata he knew a year ago. Mawata a year ago was fragile, always locking herself away from others, never showing any emotions. This Mawata was vivid. She had been hanging around Goh long enough to obtain his temper. Well, with a few mild adjustments. He reached over and placed his hand lightly over hers.

"Mawata…please?" Sasame asked smoothly. Mawata hesitated…_'It can't cause that much harm…can it?'_ She thought. Keeping up with her façade though she turned her head to the side so she wasn't looking at him.

"You have five minutes Sasame. Start talking." She muttered. Sasame smiled at her again, and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Thank you." He murmured. "Mawata…do you know what happened to Takako?" He asked her. Mawata flinched. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to say that woman's name so easily in front of her. Mawata clenched her jaw.

"Obviously. She was my maid and then turned into some wretched Princess of Disaster and you helped her. All because she loved Hayate and couldn't have him." She responded coldly. Sasame smiled a bit more, but it was softer. He shook his head.

"It was a bit more than that Mawata. See Hayate…he reached out to Takako and she needed it. She always harbored this inner fear about herself. Hayate was there for her. I was too but she didn't feel the same when I comforted her. You know how dense and clueless Hayate can be. When she needed him most, confessing her love he refused her. She never knew of my love…and maybe if she had…I could have saved her." He paused, and took a deep breath. "That's when she turned into Fenrir, the Princess of Disaster. The other Knights moved on but I couldn't. I always felt it was my fault Mawata and that you need to understand." Mawata could feel the anger inside of her rising. He was asking for her understanding?

"When Takako came back I didn't really know who you were…I didn't know the postcards were from you until that day…I finally saw you…and I thought you were beautiful Mawata. Then when I saw Takako again it was like I saw nothing but her. I loved her with everything I had Mawata. I tried to stay loyal to the Leafe Knights but I could no longer-"

"Because you were weak." Mawata hissed. Sasame raised both eyebrows in surprise.

"Excuse me?" He asked. It was his turn to get angry. Mawata stood up from her bed and looked him straight into his eyes, glaring as she did so. She shouldn't have given him the chance to talk to her.

"You were weak Sasame!" She shouted.

"I loved her!" Sasame yelled back. Mawata's mouth twisted up into a cold smile.

"Yes Sasame you loved her alright. You loved her so much you helped her kill Hayate! If it wasn't for Himeno almost dying all the Leafe Knights could be dead! You broke you oath to the Knights Sasame. And you acted cruelly." Mawata's voice finally started to soften. "You helped her hurt them Sasame…and you…you used me…to help her." She said, her hair casting shadows over her eyes as she looked down, clutching her night gown to her chest again.

"Mawata…" Sasame murmured, stepping closer to her.

"You used me Sasame…to help her…you took everything from me…the last of the will I had to fight…you broke me Sasame…" A tear slide down Mawata's cheek and Sasame felt his heart throb. Of course she was right…he had done all that…but now all he wanted to do…was make it up to her. He knew it was selfish but…he needed her. He loved her. He watched as more tears poured down her face. Mawata was hating herself for this. For showing Sasame that she was still hurting because of him, that she was still vulnerable but she couldn't help it. "I loved you Sasame…but that didn't mean anything to you." She whispered, but of course without fail, Sasame heard her.

"Mawata it did-"

"Don't _fucking_ lie to me Sasame!" She screamed. Once again, he was taken by surprise. He had never heard her curse like that. She grabbed the closest thing to her that she could, which happened to be a vase and she hurled it at him. The fact that he was quick and that her eyes clouded her vision made the vase easily miss him. "It meant nothing! You didn't give a damn! You used me for her dirty work you…you asshole!" She sobbed, and Sasame watched as she crumpled to the ground. This was everything she had been hiding. The very broken Mawata. Sasame felt his heart tighten in his chest. She was right of course. He had done everything wrong. Everything. He crouched down in front of her.

"You're right Mawata…you're right…I was wrong…I was so very wrong but please understand-" The deafening sound that filled the room echoed off the wall. Sasame's cheek stung wildly and it took him a moment to realize what had just happened. Mawata, had slapped him, and slapped him hard. When he finally looked back into her eyes what he saw there was almost borderline scary. Her eyes were cold, and full of hatred. He had asked for her understanding one to many times. He lost her. He should have tried to understand her. She stood up and looked down at him with malice.

"Get up and get out of my room. I grow tired of hearing you insolent excuses Sasame. I don't have the patience to listen to you anymore. Leave." Without another word, this time, Sasame did exactly as she ordered.

* * *

Hayate grimaced.

"That didn't go so well." He said to Himeno. Himeno grimaced as well.

"Was that loud nose her slapping him?" She asked, her voice cracking a little. Hayate nodded. The couple was standing in front of the Awayuki manor. Hayate had been listening in on the conversation and relaying every bit of it to Himeno, who no scoffed.

"Well I think he deserved it dammit!" She snapped. Hayate's eyes widened.

"What? Why?" He demanded. He knew women were brutal, especially after being in a relationship with Himeno, but what had just happened was something totally different. Himeno rolled her eyes and started to walk away, Hayate following.

"When a woman tells you things like that you're not supposed to keep trying to tell your side of the story. Mawata was on her knees in front of him crying Hayate. That doesn't mean keep on going about mistakes. He should have just held her, and let her continue to tell him what he did to her and the only thing he should have said is that he was sorry. Over and over again. He's supposed to be the smooth one when it comes to women but he's acting like he's completely clueless." Himeno explained. Hayate thought about it and realized she was right. Especially with the kind of girl Mawata was for Sasame to keep going on like that was a bad idea. He sighed.

"You're right." He muttered, glancing back towards the house. "Should we go talk to them?" Himeno shook her head.

"No…not yet. We need t give them both some space for now. Mawata isn't going to want anyone to see her like that so we need to give her time to cry herself out, get all of her anger out, and then clean herself out. Sasame needs time to think about everything Mawata said and also the things that he did wrong." She replied.

Hayate nodded and looked down at Himeno. She looked so beautiful, smiling like that. He knew she was worried but the smile she had on her face was one of knowledge. She knew things would work out some how, whether it was one week from now or two months from now. It would. Himeno looked up at Hayate and her smile grew bigger. Hayate couldn't help but to smile back at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever been lucky enough to have in his life. He snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her closer. She blushed. His smile broadened a little and he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers lightly. She kissed back. He held her tight, letting the kiss last a few seconds before he pulled away. The last thing he wanted was for her father or Mayune to happen to be walking by and see them. Himeno took a moment after he pulled away to keep her eyes closed. Her smile was small and when she finally opened her eyes she said: "I love you." And Hayate couldn't resist. He captured her lips with his once again and this time, didn't let go.

* * *

"You know Goh, I don't think Mawata like the way you treated her yesterday." Kei said. Goh had been standing behind Kei at his job for the past half an hour doing nothing. Kei knew Goh wanted him to say something but Kei really had nothing to do with the romantic affairs going on between any of the Knights and he wanted to keep it that way. However the Knights presence had become so undyingly annoying with him clearing his throat every two minutes Kei finally gave in. This of course, pleased Goh.

"But Kei what was I supposed to do? Sasame's trying to take her right out from under me! I don't know what to do!" Goh wailed, much to the dismay of Kei's co-workers. Kei turned in his chair and looked calmly at Goh.

"If you cannot keep your voice down while you talk to me about this then I will have to kick you out. Do you understand?" He hissed. Goh took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well," Kei continued. "Look, I know you must be all torn up inside because you know that Mawata still has feelings for Sasame and Sasame returns them. However, it is not up to you to decide what is best for Mawata. That is up to only her. If you keep insisting that she be with you, whether you call yourself dropping "subtle" hints, which, might I assure you were not subtle at all last night, you will continue to push her away and thus, pushing her straight into Sasame's open and welcoming arms." Kei explained casually, turning back around so that he was no longer facing Goh but instead his computer screen. Goh sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Kei was right of course. He was always right. Goh groaned.

"So what do I do?" He asked desperately. Kei stopped typing momentarily and threw a glance over his shoulder at Goh before replying.

"Nothing." He continued to type.

"What the hell do you mean nothing?" Goh demanded, once again there was another round of disapproval from Kei's co-workers. "Oh shut up!" Goh snapped. Kei stood up, grabbed Goh by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the cubical area, down three flights of stairs, and out of the sliding from glass doors, all the while Goh asking for forgiveness. When they finally got outside Kei looked at him blankly.

"When I said nothing, I did mean nothing Goh." Goh's eyes widened.

"But…why-"

"The answer is simple and if you opened your eyes you would see it. Mawata does not love you in that way. And if she does, it is not as much as she loves Sasame. You can either be by her side and help her while she suffers over Sasame entering in her life again, or you can choose to leave for however long you feel necessary in order to get you feelings to a point where you can handle being around her without acting like a maniac. It is your choice Goh, and before you ask, no, I will not help you make it. Think it over and in the meantime, the next time you want to disrupt my work, call ahead of time so I can instruct the guard not to let you in." Kei said, and with that, turned on his stiletto heels and walked back into the company. Goh sighed. Once again, he was left alone and he felt like shit.

* * *

It was about seven hours since Sasame had had Mawata blow up on him. He sat in the backyard by the fountain, staring into the water. _'Don't fucking lie to me Sasame! It meant nothing to you!'_ Mawata's voice replayed over and over again in his head. She was correct. At the time it had meant nothing to him. The only thing that meant anything was the sound of Takako's voice. He sighed and put his head in his hands. He knew he wasn't going to be alone for that much longer, he could hear some one coming closer. Two minutes later, Himeno was sitting down next to him.

"Having a rough day?" She asked. Her voice was soft, and sincere. He looked up at her and she offered him a kind smile. His eyes widened. Something about Himeno seemed to angelic. He smiled back and sat up straight.

"You could say that." He replied. Himeno nodded in understanding.

"You know Sasame…maybe you would get along better with Mawata if you listened to her more. If you keep asking her to understand you, she'll never talk to you and you know why? Because she already does understand." Sasame looked at her slightly confused and Himeno continued.

"The amount of love you had for Takako is the amount of love she has for you, so of course she already understands that you loved her. You're only hurting Mawata more if you keep saying that. You need to understand what you're put her through. I'm sure you have some basic idea, but you have no idea what goes on in that head of hers everyday. Stop trying to jump into something with her and be her friend for a little bit. That won't hurt." Himeno said. Sasame looked at her, but this time she had her head tilted towards the sky.

"Mawata loves you Sasame…be there for her. Go to see her again tonight. I'm sure she feels bad about hitting you. She may be cold sometimes but she's not cruel." Sasame nodded and then felt Himeno's hand squeeze his. Then, she turned her head and smiled at him. "Good luck Sasame." She said softly, then stood up and headed towards the Awayuki Manor.

**((Ok so that was kinda looong. Still good I hope =D Please review! ))**


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